Stéphane Colling
Head Sommelier at “ The Modern” (MoMA’s restaurant)
Settles in New York in 1999, after having lived in London for a few years.
- Paris
- Tips
Stéphane Colling’s
DELIGHTFUL PARIS
What makes you a real paryorker? Promoting French "savoir-faire" in New York and making New Yorkers dream with French culture. I think that makes me a paryorker.
How did you become one? By moving to New York after having traveled quite a bit.
Do you know any other paryorkers? Alain Ducasse, among others.
How do these two cities contribute to balancing your personal and/or your professional life? Now that New York is mainly where I live and work, Paris has become a sort of haven of peace where I can rest up and see my family and friends.
What’s the difference between the New-Yorker you and the Parisian you? The New-Yorker me is always on the lookout for new tastes, is attentive to his teams; he is pretty stressed out actually. There’s no time out; he’s got to be on top of everything all the time. Whereas the Parisian me is more relaxed. When I’m in Paris, I practically act like a tourist.
What images do these two cities bring to mind?
Paris is like a wine from the Old World, full of subtlety and nuance, with pure and well-defined dos and don’ts. There’s certain integrity. No need for makeup, Paris is a “natural” city.
New York is more like the New World; it would be an exuberant wine, more complex, concentrated and opulent.
What’s your fondest memory of Paris? Weekends spent roaming the streets.
And the last one, when you leave? I buy bottles of Jet 27 and Picon beer (I can’t find them in NY) to give a French touch to my New York cocktail parties.
What’s the best time of day for you in Paris? The morning, when the city awakes.
Do you have a ritual that’s intimately related to the city? Having an espresso at the counter of a French café.
What excites you about Paris? Strolls along the Seine riverbanks. I love Parisian architecture and I’m always amazed by the ability that Paris has of evolving without ever really changing.
What annoys you? Parisians can be arrogant sometimes, though as soon as I’m a Parisian again, the feeling disappears pretty fast.
Visitez le site Français